Portable elevator



May 14, 1946. E. K. HANSEN PORTABLE ELEVATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 20, 1945 7 May 14, 1946- E. K. HANSEN PORTABLE ELEVATOR Fild Feb. 20, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 14, 1946. E. K. HANSEN PORTABLE ELEVATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 20, 1945 Patented May 14, 1948 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in elevators, and more particularly to a portable elevator of this character adapted to pick up material in the form of bales from the ground and for transporting, elevating and unloading the bales into a wagon or storage building.

An important object of the present invention is to provide means for operatively mounting an elevator of this character ona tractor for operating the elevator from the power take-off thereof.

. A further object of the invention is to provide means for vertically adjusting the discharge end of the elevator on the tractor.

A further important object of the invention is to provide simple and practical means for attaching the elevator to the tractor without necessitating material changes or alterations in the construction thereof.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and install, in operative position on the tractor, and which is otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 4-4, of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar view taken substantially on a line 5-8 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a detail of the belt tightener for the drive means of the elevator from the power take-off of the tractor and forminga clutch device-for controlling the operation of the elevator.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 'l--I of 'Figure 2.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail of the ratchet for the raising and lowering drum of the elevator.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially to on a line 0-0 of Figure 4 and illustrating one of the hangers for pivotally supporting the elevator to the tractor.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, where'- a preferred embodiment of the invention, the' numeral I designates a tractor of conventional construction and including the rear axle 5, an axle housing I to which a rear platform 8 isattached. The tractor further includes a power take-off drive pulley 9 for driving the elevator pulley II by means of a belt H, the pulley ill being secured to'a shaft l2 journaled in a housing I! extending transversely under the tractor.

The housing I2 is supported in hanger brackets H which include upwardly extending arms I! secured to a side of the tractor by means of bolts or the like ll. One of the hanger brackets is provided at each side of the tractor.

The hanger brackets ll also include a saddle member l1 within which the housing I3 is positioned, one side of the saddle member being open to receive the housing which is retained therein by means of a pivoted locking arm it having one end pivoted to the lower edge of the saddle by means of a pin it and with its free end adapted for engagement behind a lug 20 carried by the brackets to secure the arm against open swinging movement.

A belt tightening pulley 2| is journaled on a plate 22 pivoted at one end to a bracket 13 extending from one of the arms IS, the pulley being yieldably held against the belt II by means of a coil spring 2t.

A suitable control rod 22a, as shown in Figure 6, may also be connected to the plate 22 whereby the pulley 2| may be manually moved in a direction to place a maximum amount of slack in the belt whenever it is desired to stop the drive between the power source and the present invention.

The shaft housing II is formed with a frame 25 extending longitudinally at one lower side of the tractor, the frame having a transversely extending sectional shaft housing 2' at its outer end pivotally secured in brackets 21 extending downwardly adjacent the front end of an elevator chute 22.

A shaft 2! is journaled in the housing 26 to one end of which is secured a sprocket 30 driven by a chain it from a'sprocket 32 secured to the shaft l2.

A sprocket 8,2 is also intermediate its ends for driving an endless conveyor or elevator chain. a

A shaft II is journaled at the front end of the elevator chutell and to which a sprocket II is secureddrivenbythsehain s4. Alsoseeuredto the shaft ii are a plurali y of pick-up fingers I! in for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed II for rotation with the shaft.

secured to the shaft a The upper night of the chain 34 travels in a channel 38 in the upper surface of the elevator chute 28 and around an idler sprocket 30 fournaled at the upper end of the chute.. The lower flight of the chain travels under the chute to the sprocket 33 and around the last-named sprocket to an idler sprocket 40 journaled at the lower end of an arm 4| pivoted to the under side of the chute. An adjusting bolt 42 is secured to the arm 4! and is threaded through guides 43 secured to the under side of the chute to swing the arm 4i for adjusting the tension of the chain 34.

At intervals the links of the chain 34 are provided with conveyor teeth or lugs 44.

A chain 45 connects the front end of the chute 2:3 to the front portion of the tractor 5, the chain limiting the lowering-movement of the front end of the chute.

Also attached to the sides of the chute 28 at its front end is a pair of outwardly diverging pick-up guards 46 to guide bales of hay or other baled material toward the pickup fingers 31 and by means of which the bales 4'1 are moved onto the chute 28 and are conveyed rearwardly thereof by th teeth or lugs 44.

The front end of the chute 28 is pivoted on the housing 26 formed at the front end of the frame 25 which projects forwardly from the housing i3 whereby the chute is pivotally supported on the tractor.

A substantially inverted U-shaped hoisting frame 48 has its lower ends secured to the platform 8 by means of a cross bar 49, one side of the frame 48 forming a guide for a tubular slide 50 and to which the rear portion of the chute is attached by means of the brace structure Bi, and arms 52, the arms'being pivotally attached to the brace.

A cable 53 is attached at one end to the slide 50 and extends upwardly over pulleys 54 and 65 journaled at the upper portion and at the opposite sides of the frame and then downwardly around the drum 58 carried by the lower portion of the frame and operated by means of a hand crank 51. The drum includes a ratchet S8 with which a pivoted dog "is engageable to secure the drum against unwinding movement.

Accordingly, by operation of the hand crank 51 to wind the cable 53 thereon, the slide 50 may be raised on the frame 48 whereby to raise the rear end of the chute 28. Upon releasing the drum 58, the chute may be lowered by gravitation.

In the operation of the device, the tractor is moved over the ground by the bales of material'to be conveyed and elevated whereby the bales 41' will be picked up by the fingers 31 and moved onto the chute.

The bales may be elevated and deposited directly into a wagon, or a predetermined number of the bales may be loaded onto the chute and may then be transported by. the tractor for depositing the bales into a ham or other suitable storage building.

By reason of the vertical adjustment at the rear end of the chute, the front end thereof may likewise be adjusted relative to the ground.

In view of the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in the art. A more detailed description thereof is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention herein described, and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. An elevator comprising a. shaft adapted for operative connection with the power take-oi? of a tractor, hangers rotatably supporting the shaft transversely under the tractor, a forwardly extending frame supported on said shaft, a'chute pivoted adjacent its front end on the front end of said frame, a shaft journaled at the front end of said frame, means operatively connecting said shafts, an endless conveyor having an upper flight arranged to travel along the upper surface of the chute and with its lower flight arranged to travel under the chute, means operatively connecting the lowerflight of the conveyor to the last-named shaft, and means for vertically ad- Justing the rear end'of the chute.

2. An elevator comprising a shaft adapted for operative connection with the power take-off of Q a tractor, hangers rotatably supporting the shaft ried by the chute and engaging the lower flight of the chain, adjustable means for the idler sprocket to adjust the tension'of the chain, and means for vertically adjusting the rear end of the chute.

3. An elevator comprising a chute, an endless conveyor arranged to travel along the chute, means operatively connecting the conveyor to a power take-oil of a tractor and including a shaft, a housing for the shaft, hangers for the housin adapted for attaching to a tractor and including saddles open at one side for receiving the housing, pivoted arms swingable into operation for closing the open sides of the hangers to secure the housing therein, means for locking the arms in closed position, a frame extending forwardly of the housing, means for pivotally attaching the chute adjacent its front end to the front end of said frame, and means for vertically adiusting the rear end of the chute.

ELMER. K. HANSEN. 

